Annie Sloan Graphite Try

I know. Chalk paint isn't new. It has been raved about. I have pinterested it. And googled it. Read directions. Watched youtube videos.

I think I can. I want to try. Take a few deep breaths.

First thing is to decide on a color. Since the piece I am doing is in the kitchen it needs to blend in with the cabinets and granite counter tops.

I decided on graphite--- a dark gray as in pencil lead. I read and decided this after reaching this as my inspiration.

I wanted a dark contrast in the cabinet with my white stoneware. I purchased this cabinet from JCPenney several years ago. It was on closeout and was about $50. The odd part was that the top two shelves had a back and the bottom shelf didn't.

 I purchased the thinest panel Lowe's had and let them cut it to size.

 I attached it to the back before I began painting.

 As you can tell, it was really odd looking with that open space.

I found out that I need to learn a bit more about chalk painting. But I love the fact that it is a doable project in one day. With other finishes the drying time between coats seems to take forever. And I.do.not.like the mess during projects. (Neither does my dog--he pouted all day!) I put the first coat on and let it dry for about a hour while I took a break. I put the second coat on. About a hour later I put the first coat of clear wax. I buffed it and applied a second coat of wax a few hours later. By the end of the day I buffed it again and placed everything back!

I will definitely use chalk paint again. A couple of things I would do next time is use a really good brush and realize that I should thin the paint with a little water if I want an overall finish with little distressing.